Three things I learned from this movie. 1) Tom Hardy is a really great actor. 2) He is also not afraid to show his junk… a lot. 3) This fucking guy is REAL!
Bronson is a story of a man born under the name Michael Peterson. He was, from his own admission, not raised in any kind of bad house hold, his parents were normal, and he respected them. However he had… a bit of a mean streak. He liked to pick fights, hell, not even pick them just straight up starting fights for no damn reason. When he was still young he was picked up for petty theft and was sent to jail for seven years. That sentence turned into 30+ years. When he was let out simply because he was costing to much money to keep in prison, he was a free man… for 69 days. Those days away from prison he spent in bare knuckle brawls. He didn’t want to be known as Michael Peterson anymore and took on the moniker of “Charles Bronson”. A name he enjoyed because of its connection to how the actor of the same name played a character in “Death Wish”. The fights only made him tougher and more distant from the reality that was outside life. Back in the prison system again and there he still sits. Having served over thirty years the majority of which in solitary confinement he made a name for himself as the UK’s most violent and infamous prisoner.
Sure that sounds like a great work of fiction, but it is a true story. I was skeptical watching this simply because it begins by telling me it is “based on a true story” which could mean almost anything. After watching Bronson, I did my own research and became fascinated to find out that Michael Peterson was a very real man, as is his story.
The movie itself is wonderful. It is told mostly from a first person perspective and in the style not unlike a “One Man Show” on Broadway. Probably by design since Bronson wanted nothing more in life than to be known world round, as he is the star of the show. Tom Hardy portrays Bronson as, I can only guess, close to the real person as possible. Flying into fits of rage at times showing only anger and no other emotion, as well as being quite introspective to the point of genius. Hardy shows a wider range of emotion through simple facial expressions and body language, that some actors can portray in more elaborate dialog readings. Also to his credit Tom Hardy is a fucking BEAST in this movie and looks very similar to Bronson in real life.
This is definitely a movie I will recommend to people for years to come, and already have. I can see why some people in the UK didn’t want this film released because they didn’t want to glorify Bronson’s life. However the man himself said he didn’t want that either, he just wanted his story told. It’s sad to think that the only place he is comfortable is in his “hotel room” in prison, but I don’t pity him either. He is happier there obviously than anywhere else. Not sure I have ever thought this before but I think it would be kinda cool to meet Bronson in person, just as long as there is still bars between us.
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